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Matching Gifts Program

The Caterpillar Foundation is proud to offer the Matching Gifts Program to support our U.S. employees, retirees and directors in their contributions to worthy causes. The program matches 1:1 contributions made by employees, retirees and directors to eligible colleges and universities, arts and cultural organizations, as well as public policy and environmental organizations in the United States.

Please review all program rules and restrictions prior to electronic submission of any matching gift request.

CATERPILLAR PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY

Eligible participants include: Full-time, active Caterpillar employees paid on U.S. payroll, U.S. Caterpillar retirees, and Caterpillar Directors. This includes employees from any wholly owned U.S. subsidiary (Solar, Progress Rail, former Bucyrus, etc.).

HOW THE PROCESS WORKS

Step 1: The eligible employee, retiree, or director makes a donation to an eligible 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Eligible organizations include: 2-4 year colleges/universities, arts and cultural, environmental and public policy organizations (please see ‘Eligible Organizations’ section below). The donation must be paid in full to organization before submitting match request.

Step 2: The employee, retiree or director submits a matching gift request electronically using the Donor Request a Match link (located at the bottom of the page) and notifies the nonprofit organization via mail or email with the generated matching gift receipt.

Step 3: The nonprofit organization receives the matching gift request notification via mail or email, sent by the employee, retiree or director. The nonprofit organization then uses the Non-Profit Verify a Match link (located at the bottom of the page) and verifies the tax-deductible gift amount in the online system.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

Employees/Retirees/Directors must submit matching gift requests online by January 31 of the year following the donation in order to be eligible for the Foundation match.

Nonprofit Organizations must approve all matching gift requests by February 15 of the year following the donation in order to be eligible to receive the Foundation match.

ELIGIBLE GIFT REQUIREMENTS

The gift must be a minimum gift of $50 U.S. dollars and the maximum to be matched is $2000 U.S. dollars per institution, per calendar year, per individual. Gifts must be personal financial contributions actually paid, not merely pledged or an in-kind-gift. There is no limit on the number of organizations the employee, retiree or director can donate to.

Gift may be made in cash, check, debit/credit card or marketable securities (for matching purposes, the value of securities will be considered the average of the opening and closing price on the exact day the gift was made). Gifts may also be made by current payment from an entity such as a personal foundation or donor advised fund if that entity has been funded solely by the eligible Caterpillar participant (note that gifts made to such an entity cannot be matched).

You may not register funds collected from others.

Foundation funding can only be directed to eligible nonprofit organizations (per requirements below) that maintain the federal 501(c)3 nonprofit status with the IRS.

Foundation matching funds are restricted to general purpose funds and are intended to help meet the need of the organization. For example, colleges or universities must apply the Foundation match to a general building or general scholarship fund.

ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS

Two-Year and Four-Year Colleges and Universities:

Organization must be a degree-granting, two-year or four-year public or private college or university to be eligible to receive matching gifts. The institution must be accredited by a nationally recognized regional or professional association and listed in the Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education. The institution must be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Ineligible College or University gifts/designations: Colleges and universities classified by the IRS as a church or religious institution (example: under the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops), athletic programs, athletic clubs, athletic scholarships, alumni groups, social fund-raising events, clubs, fraternities or sororities, payments for tuition, books, loans, class fees, gifts-in-kind, and social programs.

Arts and Cultural Organizations:

Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations must be open to, and operated for the benefit of, the general public. The institution must be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Examples of organizations that could qualify:

Performing arts centers: dance, drama, theater, opera and music

Public libraries

Public broadcasting radio and television stations

Museums and centers of art, science and history (including zoos and botanical gardens)

Historical museums or societies

Environmental Organizations:

Nonprofit environmental organizations whose philosophy and goals align with Caterpillar's corporate strategies and are operated for the benefit of the general public will be considered for eligibility. The institution must be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. This includes environmental quality protection and natural resources conservation.

Eligible public policy organizations must be classified by the IRS as public policy and affect public policy change with legislators. Nonprofit public policy organizations whose philosophy and goals align with Caterpillar's corporate strategies and are operated for the benefit of the general public will be considered for eligibility. The institution must be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Examples of organizations that could qualify: CATO Institute, Council on Foreign Relations, Illinois Policy Institute, Heartland Institute, The ONE Campaign, etc.

Ineligible organizations: Advocacy organizations are not eligible (working to educate the general public on policy issues).

INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS AND PROGRAMS

Ineligible organizations and gifts include but are not limited to:

United Ways or charitable contributions made as part of the United Way Giving Campaign and/or made via payroll deduction (i.e. no “double-counting”). United Way Giving Campaigns are separately supported and matched automatically by the Caterpillar Foundation. Please refer to the United Way tab on the Foundation Website for more information.

“Group gifts” – each Caterpillar employee or retiree must register his/her own personal contribution for matching (i.e. you cannot register donations from others and claim them as your own).

Disaster relief is sometimes matched by the Foundation through a separate American Red Cross Disaster Relief Program. Please refer to the Caterpillar Foundation ‘Get Involved’ tab on this website for more information.

The Caterpillar Foundation administrates the Caterpillar Matching Gifts Program. The Foundation may at any time exercise the right to change or discontinue the Matching Gifts Program. The Caterpillar Foundation, whose decision shall be final, shall determine the interpretation, application and administration of these matching gifts provisions.